Aftermath
by KuzAnn
Summary: The ultimate weapon is destroyed and the day is saved, but all is not well in Kalos. Something unpleasant lurks beneath the surface, subtle and rarely noticed. Will it be uncovered before it can bring ruin to the region, or will Kalos fall to the true threat that looms over it?
1. Chapter 1: White Lilies

**Chapter 1: White Lilies**

The sun was setting the sky ablaze to the southeast, its fading rays painting the standing stones of Geosenge in brilliant orange as it bid farewell to the day. A gentle breeze blew from the sea cliffs to the south, its quiet presence a prelude to the cold of the coming night.

It had only been a matter of hours since the bewildering series of events concerning the ultimate weapon of legend had reached its thundering conclusion. The day had been won, Kalos was safe, Geosenge was left with a stark new feature to advertise in its guidebooks... And Professor Augustine Sycamore's friend was dead. As interesting a new feature as it might be to the people living here, to Sycamore the pit embodied the ultimate result of his complacency.

Despite the signs that something was wrong, despite his suspicions, Sycamore sat by and chose to let the matter resolve itself. _Lysandre is an adult, he can figure this out,_ was what he'd told himself at the time. _Excuses, excuses._ Clearly a massive mistake, one he felt plenty guilty for making. There wasn't even a proper grave to visit now...

Sycamore's fingers tightened around the bouquet of white lilies, brought with him all the way from Lumiose City. They'd survived the trip on the back of his Charizard reasonably well considering the speed the Pokemon was travelling at, only to be cast into this massive pit of a grave to finally wither away on the boulders below. He removed the paper that the flowers were wrapped in, jammed it into his lab coat pocket, and threw the lilies into the pit.

The flowers fell in a cluster, one more ruffled blossom trailing a few petals as they made their descent. Sycamore could still see where they came to rest at the bottom, barely visible in the fading light. He paused in silence for a few moments of reflection as he stared down at the faraway cluster of lilies. Even now it didn't quite feel real, like this was all some awful prank and that Lysandre was alive to be annoyed about it somewhere. This new status quo would take some getting used to.

A sound eventually broke Sycamore's train of thought as it grew louder and louder: the crunch of boots on gravel. He turned to find that someone else had made the pit their destination, a woman with long pale blonde hair and a basket filled with white lilies on her arm. From what Sycamore could see at this distance, she wore a white dress of sorts with white leggings and boots to match. She reached the rim of the pit as Sycamore looked on, and with one smooth motion took the lilies from her basket and cast them into the dark abyss that lay before them. The woman paused at the rim after throwing the lilies in and watched them fall out of sight before turning to meet eyes with her onlooker.

Sycamore realized he was staring when she looked up at him, and he quickly glanced away in embarrassment; he hadn't meant anything rude by it, and was merely wondering who this newcomer might be to the people who died here. He glanced back to see what the woman's reaction was to his unintentional rudeness, and found that she was walking toward him. It seemed she had not taken offense, so Sycamore started forward as well to shorten the distance she would have to walk.

They met roughly halfway, but Sycamore was temporarily at a loss for words. What did you say to a person who had lost someone important? He ground the toe of his right shoe into the gravel as he dithered on the proper way to start the conversation, and felt relieved when the woman took up that duty for him.

"Who is it that you mourn, Professor?" the woman's voice was smooth with a moderate Kalosian accent, and clearly laden with sadness.

"A friend," Sycamore replied, looking up at her as he spoke. He stopped himself before he could say more on the matter, no need to pour out his troubles to the first stranger he met. "And you?" At this closer distance he could pick out the details of her clothing: a dress-like coat with hems that turned upward, like the petals of an overturned lily.

"My cousin," dull anger flitted briefly across her face as she spoke. "He has brought a great deal of shame to our family for what he has caused."

Sycamore was about to give her the typical, overused _I'm sorry_ for lack of anything better to say when his mind did a double take on what she'd just told him. _Caused?_ "Wait, so... Your cousin is Lysandre?"

"Oui, unfortunately. I have known Anatole since we were little," she sighed. "To think he would be capable of something like this..." she gestured toward the gaping hole with one hand as she spoke.

"Yeah... I didn't think he was either..." Sycamore scuffed at the gravel, careful to avoid accidentally kicking dust on his conversation partner's fine white boots. Now he felt even worse, for letting this woman down as well as Lysandre. If only he'd just talked to him...

"Pardon?" the woman looked up at Sycamore, as she was slightly shorter than him. "You knew Anatole?"

"He was the friend, that the lilies were for," Sycamore replied. "Not the best obviously, since I didn't see this coming," a hint of bitterness had worked its way into his voice, more toward himself than Lysandre not telling him what was happening.

"He was my cousin, and yet I knew nothing until the authorities told us," the woman clasped her hands before her and cast her eyes toward the pit once again. "You should not be so hard on yourself."

The two shared a silence as the last light faded from the sky, each temporarily lost in their own thoughts. It was Sycamore who eventually spoke up again as he turned to her, "I'm sorry, I didn't ask for your name."

"I am Lady Eloise LaDour," she offered her right hand to shake, and Sycamore found himself feeling a little surprised that she hadn't offered it for him to bow over instead, given her apparent status. "And you?"

"Professor Augustine Sycamore," he took the offered hand and gave Eloise a small smile. "I think you already knew, though...?"

"Anatole spoke of you before," Eloise replied as she released Sycamore's hand. "Nothing bad, I promise you," she added, upon seeing Sycamore's flustered expression. The small smile that had come to her face faded when she glanced at the pit again, and she removed a purple Holo Caster from her breast pocket to check the time. "It is getting late, would you mind trading Holo Caster codes before we part company, Professor?"

"Oh ah, I guess that would be alright," Sycamore was honestly a bit surprised that Eloise would request something like that. He fished his Holo Caster out of his own breast pocket and hit the Local Sync option for contacts as Eloise did the same. Within moments the two devices had registered the new contact codes and were tucked away by their owners.

"Thank you, Professor. And good night," Eloise gave Sycamore a small wave of farewell—which he returned—and started off down the path toward the southern half of Geosenge.

The echo of dripping water was the only sound that broke the silence. Deep below the surface, something stirred as it sensed a shift in the flow of the planet's power.

_**"Good, good..."**_ Zygarde swayed slowly from side to side as it noted the change. With a loud thump it slapped its short, flat tail against the cave floor, stirring up dust and shaking the dirt on the cave's ceiling loose with the resulting vibrations. The dust in the air caught what little light was present in the cave and began to form an image which Zygarde spoke to. _**"Greetings, Lord Arceus."**_

The pale image of Arceus hovered in the air before Zygarde, flowing and ethereal as the dust it was formed from. _**"I take it the wretched device is finally destroyed?"**_ Arceus's voice echoed through the cave as if the deity actually stood there, causing more dirt and dust to shaft down from the ceiling.

_**"Yes, the weapon is no more. I can feel the Flow returning to normal even as we speak,"**_ Zygarde replied.

_**"Excellent. How did you finally manage it?"**_

_**"The matter resolved itself, actually,"**_ another slow swish of the tail as Zygarde spoke.

_**"Really?"**_ the image of Arceus blinked with surprise; to think that the pesky thing had been destroyed by the very creatures that made it, and with little collateral, no less. _** "How so?"**_

**_"A few very convenient humans,"_** Zygarde replied. _**"I will keep my eye on them, but I do not expect them to do so much harm as the Traitor King did. I shall personally interfere this time should it go so far."**_

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I'm aware that I still need to work on Ace, but I really feel that I need to get this out of my system before I lose interest. These first few chapters will probably end up getting edited sometime in the near future.

I'm also KuzAnn over on tumblr by the way so if you see this over there don't freak out.


	2. Chapter 2: Escape

**Chapter 2: Escape**

The tumult of grinding rock and screeching metal thundered from all directions as the weapon of legend poured the remainder of its fury into the sky above. Wires snapped like frayed string during the legendary Pokemons' escape swung limp and lifeless as the room shook, sparking with electrical discharge whenever they made contact with a metal object. It was clear that Team Flare's secret headquarters was already falling apart, even before the weapon's energy projectile landed.

In mere minutes the weapon's last bit of power would wipe out the very facility created to hold it. Sycamore's students had fled, out and away to safety as fast as their legs could carry them. Anatole Lysandre no longer cared what happened to him. There was nothing left, now. He'd slumped to his knees after using the last dregs of the weapon's power, and there he remained as he waited for death. He lifted his head, eyes staring blankly into the distance, and spotted the bodies of his Pokemon as they lay motionless on the floor. That was right, they were still down here with him.

Lysandre got to his feet and strode over to where his Gyarados lay, removing the metal case that held his Revives from a coat pocket as he moved. He'd said that he wanted to be someone who gave in the past, and now, he would give them the chance to escape. These companions had stayed by his side through thick and thin, ever-loyal and always ready to help, and they would be free to move on and find trainers to love once he was gone. There could still be a future for them, at least. Lysandre placed the first Revive in the corner of Cobalt's mouth, between the tongue and teeth, where it would quickly dissolve and release its potent medicine. He then did the same for his Pyroar, Honchkrow, and Mienshao as Cobalt began to come to.

Soon all four Pokemon were up and looking to Lysandre for direction as the room rumbled around them. Lysandre kept his eyes on the ground and pointed toward the room's one exit. "Go, leave me behind," he spoke just loudly enough to be heard above the tumult. "It's over. There's nothing left for me now but shame, and death." Lysandre allowed his arm to drop to his side at that final statement as shame and despair temporarily overwhelmed him.

Moments dragged by as Lysandre sat there, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast, until something touched his right elbow. He glanced to his right, and found that Regulus crouched there, mouth just touching his sleeve. The Pyroar let out a low rumble when they made eye contact, then he latched his jaws onto Lysandre's arm and began to drag him toward the exit.

"Stop this!" Lysandre tried to pull away, but Regulus's jaws maintained a steady hold on his arm. "I'll still be taken from you if I escape, there's no point!" Lysandre tried to pry Regulus's jaws off himself for a few more steps before he finally gave up, allowing his body to droop against the crowd of Pokemon as they continued to push him. He knew that if he survived he would be found, arrested, and forced to watch the world slowly fall to ruin from the inside of a jail cell. A quick death was preferable, but now he was being denied even that and had only years of misery to look forward to. The thought of it made his stomach turn as they neared the door.

A barely-audible beep sounded from somewhere behind Lysandre's left ear, and he glanced over his shoulder at the backpack unit. The exit door slammed shut with a loud clang just a moment later, just missing Regulus's tail and startling the Pokemon into jumping away. Lysandre yelped as two of Regulus's fangs sank deep into his arm, piercing muscle and drawing blood.

Regulus released Lysandre immediately and whimpered an apology, head hung low with shame at having hurt his human.

"'s alright," Lysandre grunted, clamping a hand over the wound to slow the bleeding and holding his arm close to his body as he grit his teeth, "I know you didn't mean to." The sudden pain was enough to disrupt his previous line of thinking and focus his mind on a new issue—the fact that his backpack unit had shut the door when they got close. He watched as Cobalt rammed the door with his massive head in an attempt to knock it down but to no avail; the steel was much too thick.

Lysandre hurried over to the key pad for the door and clumsily punched in the pass code with the bloodied fingers of his left hand. An error code appeared on the screen and the door remained shut tight. Next he removed the backpack unit—with some trouble thanks to his injured arm—and threw it away from himself before trying to open the door again. Just as before, he was given an error code. It seemed that whatever command the backpack unit had sent to the door's computer, his normal pass code would not be enough to open it.

Cobalt backed away from the door, having finally realized what a futile effort attempting to break it down was, and raised his head to sense the air. He began to move to the other side of the chamber, with Mourvedre following behind him in short crow-hops. The Honchkrow stopped just short of the broken power source and watched as Cobalt approached the opposite wall, well aware that his fellow Pokemon was on to something.

Time was running out. The energy projectile had likely reached the peak of its ascent and would begin the rapid journey back toward its source at any moment. Lysandre knelt beside the panel and tried to get its cover off. He would have accepted death, alone in this pit, but now his Pokemon were trapped with him. Anger rose like a flame inside his chest, temporarily burning away the despair that had taken root there. It wasn't fair to make them pay for his failures, he had to get them out.

Meanwhile Cobalt had begun to inspect a grated panel on the far side of the room. After breathing the air in through his gaping mouth for a few moments, he drew back and rammed his head into the grate, bashing it off its frame and creating an opening through which they could escape. Cobalt withdrew his head and roared at the other Pokemon to get their attention.

Mourvedre gave a loud caw in reply and fluttered over to where the others stood by the door.

Lysandre's concentration was broken when Mourvedre tugged at his hair. He looked up and saw that Cobalt had created an escape route for them, and was scarcely given the time to stand up before Poise and Regulus were pushing him toward it. This again. It seemed he still had no choice in the matter.

The duct was just big enough for Cobalt to fit through, and he hung back to make sure everyone—including Lysandre—made it into the passage before following himself. Lysandre's Pokemon hurried along, pushing their trainer forward and doing their best to keep him on his feet in the darkness. Even so, the lack of light made it difficult for Lysandre to move at such a quick pace and it felt like every other step was a stumble and near-fall, with his Pokemon being the only thing able to keep him from slamming his face into the floor or walls. The duct began to angle downward in a gentle slope, making it even more difficult for Lysandre to keep moving, but his Pokemon managed to keep him on his feet.

A blast of air tinged with sea water rolled over Lysandre's face as Poise bashed down a grate that blocked their path. Dim light filled this new tunnel, cast by the few ceiling lamps that were still working after the damage the complex had taken. Tremors from firing the weapon had already dislodged many of the wall panels, which created an obstacle course of sharp metal for anyone trying to get through. How much time did they have? He'd lost track in the seemingly endless darkness of the duct. Soon, maybe even within the next few moments. They had to hurry. Lysandre jumped down into the tunnel, and faltered as he again thought of what escape would mean for him.

Cobalt didn't give Lysandre the time to focus on such thoughts and nudged him toward the source of the fresh air with his forehead; they didn't have time for this.

The force of a large explosion shuddered through the earth around them as the projectile landed. The tunnel heaved from the shock wave, throwing Lysandre off his feet. A jagged piece of metal met him on his way to the floor; pain seared across his face as the edge slid from the bottom of his left cheekbone and over his eye, catching on the boney top of its socket before continuing on to his hairline. Lysandre hit the floor with a loud thump, followed by the sound of blood spattering on the floor near his head, eerily clear in his ears despite the roar of the continuing explosions.

It took him a few moments to fully register what had happened. Panic surged in, setting his heart racing and driving rational thought from his head as he lurched to his feet, only to have his knees buckle when the pain and shock caught up. Frantic thoughts piled in to fill the void, one on top of the other, only adding to the confusion as Lysandre raised a hand to clutch at his face.

Lysandre let out a ragged scream with what little breath he still had, and received a lung full of dust upon inhaling for the next. He doubled over, body convulsing from the coughing fit as blood continued to flow warm and thick through his fingers. Tears came next, both from the pain and from the coughing and added their sting to the agonizing throb of the gash.

Beyond the pain and the panic he felt something brush his right shoulder—one of his Pokemon had managed to find him in the darkness, but he wasn't of the frame of mind to distinguish which one. Long, strong forelimbs slipped beneath his heaving chest to help him straighten and get to his feet; his Mienshao had managed to find him first. Lysandre got his coughing under control as the others gathered around and began to push him forward, though his breathing was still ragged and uneven with the dust in his lungs and throat.

The shaking had calmed for the most part by now; secondary explosions still shook the tunnel itself, knocking dust and dislodged metal panels loose, but nothing so severe as what the initial explosion produced. Despite the reduced shaking, navigating the tunnel was far from easy with so much debris in the way, which the Pokemon were careful to clear before guiding Lysandre through. Lysandre himself had difficulty walking with the state he was in, as his despair over his failure and his dismal future was further compounded by the pain from his injury, and as a result his steps were slow and faltering.

Another explosion caused the tunnel to shudder. Dust shafted down from the ceiling, and a metal panel that had been only partially attached to the ceiling parted company with its moorings and fell, striking Lysandre squarely on the top of his head.

Poise batted the panel away before it could pin Lysandre, but the damage was done. The hand that was pressed against his wound fell away from Lysandre's face as he lost consciousness, flicking blood on Regulus and Mourvedre as it swung to his side. They caught him before he could hit the ground, and continued forward with his limp body as quickly as they could; the faster they got out, the less risk of their fragile human being further injured by falling debris.

_"[We're almost there,]"_ Cobalt rumbled, still keeping pace just behind the group.

The group began to slow, careful to keep an eye out for any more debris that might harm their human. They were travelling at a brisk walk by the time they reached the ledge that the tunnel ended in.

The tunnel let out into a large cavern, the floor of which was obscured by churning seawater that glowed with refracted sunlight. That meant there was a tunnel leading to the outside world, one that was fairly short given the the light penetration. Poise, Regulus, and Mourvedre took Lysandre to one side of the ledge so Cobalt could get past without knocking them into the water below.

Cobalt slipped out of the tunnel and dropped into the water. The cool embrace of the sea was welcome after the heat and sharp metal of the tunnel, and he quickly scouted the underwater tunnel to see how long it might take to move through it. He found the tunnel to be relatively short, but still too long to expect Lysandre to be taken through it without inhaling water. They would have to come up with a plan to get around that.

With his analysis complete, Cobalt rose from the water to address the others, who were still waiting for him on the ledge. "_[There is an underwater tunnel leading to the outside, but it's too long to take Anatole through safely,]"_ he communicated the dilemma to them in a series of deep rumbles and growls once he was close enough to be heard, then waited for their suggestions.

Each Pokemon leaned over the edge to stare into the water for a few moments, then drew back and conversed amongst themselves. They had gotten Lysandre this far, there had to be a way to get past the water, too.

_"[What'll we do? We can't just give up now that we've come this far.]"_

_"[Yes but how do we move forward? He will drown if we take him through while he's fainted like this.]"_

Mourvedre hopped about in frustration for a few moments as he plumbed his brain for some sort of solution. A thought occurred to him, and he turned back to the rest of the group, _"[I have an idea. Perhaps if Cobalt can hold enough air in his mouth, he will be able to carry Anatole and keep him out of the water while we hold onto his back.]"_ He hopped a half-circle until he was facing Cobalt and looked up at the Gyarados, _"[Will you be able to do it?]"_

_"[Yes,]"_ Cobalt replied. _"[I'd rather not, but if it will get our human out of here then so be it.]"_ Just the thought of tasting the blood of his own human on his tongue sent a sharp twinge of disgust running through him. But it had to be done, it was the only way. Cobalt would just have to cope, and swim through the tunnel and to the surface as quickly as possible. _"[Just make sure you hold on tight.]"_

Cobalt took a few moments to ready himself, then inhaled, held his breath, and lowered his mouth to the ledge, tucking his tongue to the back of his mouth to make as much room as possible. Regulus and Mourvedre propped Lysandre up in a sitting position while Poise folded his arms over his stomach. Once done, Poise and the others carefully lifted Lysandre into Cobalt's mouth and hopped onto his back where they clung to his spikes in preparation for the plunge. Cobalt carefully closed his mouth and dove into the water without wasting any time, eager to get Lysandre out of his mouth again.

The others managed to cling to Cobalt's back during the entire trip through the tunnel, and spent a few moments gasping for breath once they hit the surface. Cobalt raised a section of his long back above the water for them to rest on, then swung his head around to pass Lysandre off to them. Poise and Mourvedre worked together to lift Lysandre out of Cobalt's mouth and place him on the Gyarados's back. Cobalt rinsed his mouth out with seawater while the others checked Lysandre's condition. To their great relief, they found that he was still breathing and apparently not in any worse condition than he had been when they reached the end of the tunnel.

Still, Lysandre's condition was cause for great worry, as the wounds on his face, head, and arm were still bleeding and he was still unconscious. The wounds needed to be bandaged to stop the bleeding—they knew that much from observing how humans were treated when hurt at least—and perhaps they would be able to recruit the help of a healer Pokemon once they found a safe place to make land.

The pale coastal cliffs of Geosenge and Route 10 towered to the northeast, and the wide featureless ocean expanded to the west. Mourvedre stared at the cliffs for a few moments, then checked the position of the sun: midafternoon. _"[Geosenge is just over those cliffs,]"_ he said, gesturing toward land with one wing. The Honchkrow spread his wings to aid in balance as he turned to Poise and Mourvedre, _"[They should have what we need. I'll be back within the hour if I find everything.]"_ He took off in a gust of wind from his wings and began to fly off toward the sea cliffs.

_"[Wait, Mour!]"_ Cobalt called for him to stop before he could fly off and gestured toward a jagged stand of rocks that jutted out from the waves when the Honchkrow turned to look at him; they would hide there until he returned.

Mourvedre nodded, banked to his right and flew off, soon becoming little more than a black dot against the pale cliff face.

Cobalt watched Mourvedre for a few moments, then turned and swam toward the rocks, careful to keep one section of his back above the waves as he moved. His entire body hurt after the beating he'd received from Serena's Pokemon, and he hoped Mourvedre would be mindful enough to bring back some berries on top of the supplies they needed to patch up Lysandre. Anything to take the edge off his exhaustion, even staying afloat was difficult with how tired he felt. He turned to check on Lysandre, and found that his condition still had not changed.

Minutes dragged by at a glacial pace as Cobalt bobbed in the waves beside the stand of rocks, caught between fighting off his exhaustion and coping with his worry over Lysandre's condition. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cobalt spotted Mourvedre as the Honchkrow crested the sea cliffs and soared down toward them, a pure white bedsheet held in his beak. Cobalt called out with a roar of greeting as Mourvedre drew near, glad that the Honchkrow had managed to make it back without incident.

Mourvedre replied with a deep, throaty caw through the sheet and lowered his burden to the pair on Cobalt's back before returning to Cobalt's head. The Honchkrow produced a sitrus berry from his collar feathers and tossed it into Cobalt's mouth.

It was amazing what such a small berry could do. Cobalt felt better almost immediately, and the veil of exhaustion finally lifted from his senses. While no proper substitute for a good rest, this small snack would hold him over until they got somewhere safe.

Cobalt turned to check on Lysandre and the others again, and spotted a mid-sized ship approaching them from the south. The sight of the ship was worrying enough, the speed it was travelling at even more so, fast enough that Cobalt could soon make out the humans standing on the deck. A cold lance of fear shot through him when one of the humans pointed directly at them and the boat began to turn toward the rocks.

_"[Humans!]"_ Cobalt warned, causing the others to jump. They turned to look where he was facing and spotted the boat as well. It was time to leave. They couldn't let the other humans take Lysandre away after all they'd done to save him.

Poise and Regulus held Lysandre between them and gripped Cobalt's scales with their claws to anchor themselves, while Mourvedre clung to a dorsal spine with his talons. Once everyone was ready, Cobalt lifted off and raced northward, gradually climbing in altitude as he moved.

The boat pursued them a ways up the coast, but Cobalt was even faster in the air than he was in water and he soon outpaced and left it far behind. Though the first boat was out of sight, Cobalt was still too wary to think they were in the clear just yet—if one boat managed to find them, there could be more lurking about along the coast. Cobalt kept flying, serpentine body undulating like a streamer in the wind. Geosenge and its connecting routes faded into the distance as he continued north.

Storm clouds that once seemed small on the horizon now loomed directly overhead, unheeded by Cobalt until a large gust of wind knocked him off course. Cobalt swung his head around to check that he still had all his passengers—all were still there, Poise and Regulus holding Lysandre to Cobalt's back while Mourvedre clung to a dorsal spine—and tried to make for land. The wind fought him at every turn, forcing Cobalt farther and farther out to sea and into the thick of the storm. Soon the land vanished from view, veiled by heavy sheets of rain and too far to have any hope of reaching it.

They were completely lost now, and at the mercy of the unrelenting storm. It was all Cobalt could do just to keep them aloft and away from the waves below. There was nothing to be done now but hope the storm released them over land, somewhere they could get their bearings and find help for Lysandre.

Cobalt braced himself as an updraft swept them up into the clouds; tonight would be a long night indeed.


	3. Chapter 3: Red Wine

**Chapter 3: Red Wine**

Eloise swirled the wine within the large bulb of her glass; it was a luxurious dark red variety, almost purple in color and exquisitely complex in flavor. She raised the glass in a toast to herself, the pale wood furniture and ivory-colored trappings of her private chambers her only company. To think it would have been this easy. She would have started this years ago had she known before.

A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she checked the information on her tablet again; Anatole's will would be read the following day, but she already knew what she was due. All of his business assets, patents and research would soon belong to her, she had seen to it. There was no one else Anatole had seen fit to run his company should some ill fate befall him. And befall him it had, just as she had planned. Her cousin lay crushed at the bottom of a pit, and members of her organization disguised as construction workers were preparing to extract the precious resource that the weapon's broken remains had created.

The sound of the door to her main chambers swinging open interrupted Eloise's thoughts, and she looked up to find that her butler had entered the room. As second nature her mind flexed and cast its power toward him, and found only the expected thoughts in his head. Nothing amiss, as expected.

Eloise's butler was a slender man, somewhat younger than what most expect a butler to be. The man strode up to her, each step meticulously measured and even, then bowed without hesitation upon reaching her table. "My lady, Alexandre has requested an audience with you. He is in the main hall even as we speak," he said.

"Very well," Eloise's serene expression remained as she set the wine glass down and pushed her chair back from the small round table she had been seated at. "Tell him that I will be ready in five minutes. And fetch some of that specially-imported guava juice, I remember he quite enjoyed it last time."

"Yes, my lady," the butler bowed to Eloise again, and left through the main door.

Once she could no longer hear her butler, Eloise left the table and entered her boudoir. A locked cabinet in a far corner of the room held the item she sought: a strange device similar in appearance to a reverse tiara. Eloise lifted it from the case it rested in and slid it from the back of her neck and up her head, so that it was eventually hidden within the long tresses of her platinum blonde hair. At the press of a small button at the center of the device's main plate, it activated and deafened Eloise's power.

As she left the boudoir Eloise paused before the main mirror to check that the device was fully hidden, which it was. She hoped this would be a short meeting; this handy device was all well and good for keeping powerful psychics from reading her, but it gave her a headache without fail if she wore it too long. Best to get this over with quickly and send Alexandre on his way.

Eloise composed herself, then left the boudoir and closed the door. She continued across the room to the main door and checked the time: three minutes had passed, and Alexandre would knock at the door in two minutes. Lead time with the device on meant that her deeper thoughts would be suitably concealed by the time Alexandre got within range to sense her.

Two minutes passed, and a soft knock came at the door. Eloise opened it after a moment's pause and stepped aside to allow her guest to enter. "Good day, Alexandre. Please, come in."

A paw, two-toed and pale purple, passed over the threshold and came to rest on the fine wooden floor panels, soon followed by its owner. Alexandre was a Mewtwo. At around six and a half feet in height he towered over Eloise, especially with his perfect upright posture. His shoulders were covered by a short cape made from thick fabric of a subdued blue color, with a pale cerulean cravat at his neck to match.

Intense violet eyes settled on Eloise, and Alexandre inclined his head in a polite nod of greeting, his gaze temporarily hooded as he half closed his eyes. _"Good day, Aunt Eloise. Thank you for letting me visit at such short notice,"_ the thought-speech rang loud and clear in Eloise's head, unimpeded by the device, and in a tone that was reminiscent of what would be expected of a young man.

"Of course. It's the least I can do for my dear nephew after what has happened," Eloise led him to the round table she had been seated at before, and gestured for him to make himself comfortable.

Alexandre glanced around the room and spotted the chair that Eloise kept just for him, larger than normal in order to accommodate his size and with a slot in the back large enough for his tail to fit through. He made a beckoning gesture with his right hand, and the chair lifted into the air and came to rest at the table, opposite to where Eloise now sat.

The butler entered, bearing a tray laden with glasses and a pitcher filled with a pale magenta juice, just as Alexandre took his seat at the table. Guava was an odd sort of fruit that was similar to an aguav berry and recently discovered deep in the tropical jungle of another region, and as such products made from it were still expensive to acquire and had been a major fad among the rich for some time now. Alexandre wasn't one to particularly care about what was popular and simply enjoyed its unique taste.

_"Thank you,"_ Alexandre said as the butler set the tray on the table and poured a glass of the chilled juice for him.

Once he had set the pitcher and extra glasses within easy reach on the table, the butler bowed to the two of them and left them to their private conversation.

"So what brings you here today, Alexandre?" Eloise asked, though she already had a good idea of what was on his mind. She picked up her glass of wine and swirled it as she waited for his answer.

_"I want to know if you have any confirmation on Father's status,"_ Alexandre said, ignoring his juice glass for now.

Eloise adopted an expression of weary sadness when she heard this. "It is the same as the last time I told you. Our workers have not managed to get down to the weapon chamber yet, but I fear there is little hope for his survival," she set the wine glass down and folded her hands in her lap. "You've been searching for him all this time, haven't you?"

_"Barnard did not find him among the lost spirits of Geosenge."_

"And you're guessing that this means he is either alive or at peace," Eloise kept the flurry of thoughts that began to rise at that assertion at bay and maintained her expression.

_"Of course,"_ Alexandre leaned forward slightly. _"But with how much he has suffered for this world, and the fact that he was thwarted..."_ his fingers slowly tensed and balled into a fist. _"He could never be at peace after what happened."_

"And yet he was not seen escaping through any of the emergency exits," Eloise's finger tapped against her knee as she spoke. "And did you sense Anatole or his Pokemon within the weapon chamber?"

Alexandre shook his head. _"No, I didn't. But..."_ he hesitated, as if unsure of how to word his next statement properly.

"Go on," Eloise allowed a small bubble of "hope" to make its way up to the surface of her mind where Alexandre would sense it, and waited for him to gather his thoughts.

_"I found a few scales from Cobalt at the mouth of the main construction tunnel for the headquarters,"_ Alexandre finished. _"I know Cobalt. He would never have left without Father and the others."_

"I see," Eloise allowed her gaze to wander around the room as she tapped her lower lip in thought. Finally, she closed her eyes in weariness and sat back, "But false hope is a cruel master, and I don't care to court with it at the moment. I will keep an eye out, but until I find evidence to the contrary I can only assume that Anatole is dead."

_"Right..."_ Alexandre drooped slightly, and the glass lifted off the tabletop to float toward him. Eloise could feel him brooding over what she'd said even through the device as he took the glass in one hand and sipped from it.

Eloise decided that it would be prudent to direct his attention elsewhere for the time being. "Have you given any additional thought to my proposal?" she picked up the wine glass again and took a few sips as she awaited his answer.

Alexandre's head snapped up at the question, as he had only been half paying attention during his brooding. _"Yes... I'm just, not sure if that's what Father would have wanted. He said he didn't want me to soil my hands with this work."_

"And do you still agree with that now?"

Another pause. _"I will think about it,"_ Alexandre set the glass, now half-empty, down on the tabletop before him. He stared at a far corner of the room for a few moments, then got to his feet. _"I have other matters to attend to,"_ Alexandre stood, and his chair lifted off and sailed back to where it had been before. _"Take care of yourself, Auntie,"_ Alexandre gave her a nod of farewell.

"And you, Alexandre," Eloise got to her feet and set the wine glass down, then escorted Alexandre to the door. She gave him a small wave of farewell as he walked down the hall toward the main entrance, and he returned one of his own before leaving her line of sight.

The butler entered Eloise's room around five minutes later and found her seated at the table again, tablet in her lap as she reviewed some piece of information. "Alexandre has departed, my lady," he said.

"Good," Eloise flicked her index finger across the tablet's surface to turn the page. "You may go."

"Yes, my lady," the butler bowed, then left her chambers without another word.

Once he was out of the room, Eloise removed the device from the back of her head with an annoyed sigh and set it on the table; she could already feel a headache brewing behind her forehead. Using it was necessary in order to keep secrets from Alexandre, especially after what she had done to her cousin. Still, the suggestion that Anatole was alive was a troubling one. It would be inconvenient for him to return, to say the least, especially in regards to Alexandre. Even if she were to have her contacts among the police and government quietly dispose of Lysandre once he was caught, Alexandre would still search for him tirelessly if given any indication to where he might be.

Eloise flicked the final report on Team Flare aside and brought up her contact list. Time to talk with her government contacts on the matter, she would not stand for any hindrances to her plan, family or not.

* * *

The storm finally released them on the coast of an unknown land. Dark, rain-slicked treetops greeted them as Cobalt rose over the white chalk cliffs and drifted toward the ground, searching for a decent place to land. He entered the first large break among the trees that he could find and dropped the last few feet, completely exhausted by well over a night of ceaseless flight.

Mourvedre was the first to tumble off the Gyarados's back to land on the loamy forest floor in a scruffy pile of feathers, also tired from clinging to his comrade's back for so long. Poise and Regulus followed at a slower pace, careful to avoid knocking Lysandre off of Cobalt's back by accident as they moved. All were soaked to the bone and battered from the storm, but thankfully still alive.

Poise turned back to Cobalt and lowered Lysandre to the forest floor as slowly as he could, then checked to see how their human was fairing. Unfortunately Lysandre still fared even worse than his Pokemon, as he was now drenched from the storm and still out cold. The rough bandage job that Poise had managed to cover the wound on Lysandre's face with was stained red-brown from the blood seeping through, and his breathing was shallow and uneven. Poise dragged him toward Cobalt's head, where Regulus would be able to keep an eye on the two of them while he and Mourvedre searched the forest for food and water.

Cobalt lay on the forest floor, eyes closed and motionless save for the rise and fall of his massive flanks as he breathed. It would be some time before the Gyarados moved again if they didn't find berries of some sort to feed to him.

Regulus limped over to where Lysandre lay and settled down beside him, steam rising from his flanks as he heated himself with the flame within his body; at this distance the heat would reach Lysandre and warm him up as well. The Pyroar gave voice to a low rolling growl as he nudged Lysandre with is nose, but the human did not stir. He let out a weary sigh, then raised his head to keep a look out as Poise and Mourvedre disappeared into the forest.

The denizens of the forest were still recovering from the severity of the storm, and Mourvedre saw few other Pokemon as he searched for berries and wild edibles. A Fletchling called in the distance and was answered by another, but neither of them came close enough for him to spot. That was fine with him; Fletchlings were territorial, and he didn't have the strength to waste on dealing with them right now.

Mourvedre continued on, flying only for short distances in an attempt to keep his strength up. He hopped over a large root to find a small oran berry tree growing in a clearing just ahead, and he hurried over to inspect its branches and the ground around its base. The storm had damaged many of the berries from this tree, but there were still a few ripe oran berries scattered about on the ground of the clearing. Mourvedre was just picking one up when he heard a flurry of sound above his head.

A Swanna flock soared overhead as Mourvedre looked up, an oran berry in his beak as he watched them. Swanna! They were vain and powerful, a bit too stuck up for Mourvedre's taste normally, but they weren't above lending help to those who could catch their fancy with compliments and more than a little humility. Mourvedre tucked the oran berry into his collar feathers and took to the air as quickly as his tired body would allow.

_"[Lovely Swanna with feathers of purest white!]"_ Mourvedre called before the Swanna could get out of range. _"[Please lend me your ears, I have a request if you would be kind enough to help me!]"_ He was laying it on thick, but he wasn't willing to risk being turned down for lack of complements; for a Swanna there could never be too many.

To Mourvedre's relief, the lead Swanna let out a long, keening call and the flock slowed, allowing the weary Honchkrow to reach and keep pace with them. _"[Thank you!]"_ Mourvedre made his way to the head of the flock and tried to ignore the hint of disgust in the lead Swanna's expression as he drew near. _"[Our human is badly hurt and in need of immediate healing,]"_ he began once he was within hearing range. _"[One of our own, a Gyarados, is hurt also and can barely move. I have heard that Swanna can heal even the most grievous of wounds if they put their minds to it, will you please help us?]"_

The lead Swanna glided easily on the wind with his massive wings as he considered Mourvedre's request. Almost a minute passed before the Swanna replied, and Mourvedre had just been about to leave when he finally spoke up.

_"[We are in no hurry to reach the location of our nightly dance, lead on. We will heal your human and the Gyarados, since you have so humbly requested it of us.]"_

Stuck up for sure, but Mourvedre was more than willing to humor their pride if it meant Anatole would be healed. He dove and led the flock toward the place where Cobalt rested without wasting any more time, and soon he spotted the Gyarados's blue flank through the trees. The Honchkrow came to rest beside his human while the Swanna flock found places to land around the small clearing.

Regulus looked to Mourvedre in surprise at finding himself surrounded with these newcomers, and at the Honchkrow's nod he got up and moved aside so the Swanna could approach their patient.

The lead Swanna strutted over to the group, head held high and wings tucked to his sides as he approached. Once beside Lysandre, he lowered his head to inspect the rough bandages on the human's face, a shadow of worry in his eyes. _"[So your human... Did he get this wound by running afoul of the Fairies?]"_ he asked, barely loud enough for Regulus and Mourvedre to hear.

_"[Fairies?]"_ Regulus was honestly surprised by such an assertion; Fairies in Kalos were annoying to deal with, sure, but most weren't in the habit of hurting humans in such a savage manner.

_"[What kind of Fairies are you talking about?]"_ Mourvedre added.

Rather than answering the question, the Swanna waved them into silence with one wing and instead focused on his patient. A faint blue glow radiated from the Swanna's body as he gathered his power and directed it toward the ailing human before him. To the Swanna's shock, rather than taking to the patient and healing his wounds the power was forced away and dissipated like thin smoke on the breeze. He drew back in surprise, not entirely sure of how he should react to this development. Perhaps it was merely a fluke of some sort. The Swanna tried again, with the same result.

Such failure would be greatly distressing to any Swanna, they who prided themselves on being able to live up to the expectations others had of them with ease, and he tried several more times before raising his wings in despair and letting out a low, trilling call. _"[No effect! I can't believe this! Someone else try, quickly!]" _

Others from the flock stepped forward to try it themselves, but each was as unsuccessful as the last, until finally they attempted the healing as a group. Still nothing.

Desperate for some sort of result and worried that their powers had somehow declined without their notice, the Swanna turned to healing Cobalt. The Gyarados responded to their power almost immediately, opening his eyes and raising his head to look around in surprise at their new guests. There was no question, there had to be something wrong with the human that was turning their power away.

_"[It's your human,]"_ the Swanna stated as he circled Lysandre, trying to find something that might explain the failed healing. _"[Something about him prevents our powers from working on him.]"_

It was a shock to hear, and they knew what they would have to do now; risk seeking the help of other humans. There was no choice now with Anatole in such bad shape, he would never last in this condition.

The lead Swanna regathered his composure, still shaken over having been unable to use his powers on someone, and addressed the group: _"[I apologize that I have been unable to help your human, but I can at least lend you some advice. Nighttime isn't safe for humans in this forest, so you'll need to stay in one of the outposts once darkness falls. We can show you how to get to it before we continue on our way.]"_ He lowered his voice and drew a bit nearer, so that only Cobalt, Regulus, and Mourvedre could hear, _"[The Fairies make it difficult for humans here, but he should be safe in the outpost.]"_

_"[Wait so what makes the Fairies so scary?]"_ Regulus cut in, only to be shushed by the Swanna.

_"[Not so loud,]"_ he hissed, chorused by the other Swanna who stood nearby. _"[They can hear you if spoken of too much and too loud.]"_

The assertion was giving Regulus the chills, and Mourvedre's feathers were beginning to stand on end. These sounded like Fairies they never wanted to meet.

_"[Alright, lead the way, but we need to wait for Poise to get back before we can go,]"_ Cobalt said. He shook his head vigorously to try and settle his scales—all this talk of monsters lurking in the forest was putting him on edge.

Poise returned soon enough, and nearly dropped his berries in surprise upon finding that he was suddenly surrounded on all sides by Swanna. _"[What's going on here?]"_ he asked, hurrying over to where the rest of his group huddled around Anatole. _"[Are they here to help?]"_

_"[We'll explain on the way,]"_ Cobalt lowered his back for the others to get on. _"[They're going to show us a safe place to stay for the night.]"_

The Swanna flew at a steady pace once they were in the air, one that Cobalt and even Mourvedre could keep up with. Regulus explained the failed healing to Poise on the way, and shared a few details on what the Swanna had told them about the Fairies.

Mourvedre caught up with the lead Swanna after checking on Lysandre again. _"[So what exactly do... They do to humans?]"_ he asked quietly.

_"[They see humans as playthings,]"_ the Swanna's voice was so low that Mourvedre barely heard it. _"[I saw it once...]"_ his voice faded into silence as he recalled the horrible incident. _"[He wasn't killed outright but... By the time the other humans found him it was too late. We could not help either because of the nature of the injuries inflicted upon him,]"_ the Swanna half-closed his eyes for a moment, then turned to Mourvedre. _"[That is why I thought I would be able to heal your human when you said he was not attacked by them.]"_

_"[I don't understand why it wouldn't work...]"_ Mourvedre mumbled.

_"[I believe your human is plagued by an affliction of the spirit,]"_ the Swanna said, louder this time as he was not speaking of the Fairies. _"[Until it is cured, healing powers will have no effect on his bodily wounds.]"_

_"[And who can cure that?]"_

_"[That place is more than a day's flight away from here. It's too late to try today, but we can lead you there tomorrow if you're still up for the journey.]"_

_"[Thank you,]"_ Mourvedre tipped his beak in respect to the Swanna and his help. _"[We greatly appreciate it.]"_

_"[The humans here have it hard,]"_ the Swanna mused. _"[And I can see how much you care for yours,]"_ the bottom lids of the Swanna's eyes lifted in a smile. He then cast his gaze groundward and began to make his descent toward their destination.

The outpost was a building roughly in the shape of a square, made from stone banded by iron and partially overgrown with vines and moss. It would be just big enough for everyone to fit inside, given its apparent size from the outside, with the door large enough for Cobalt to slip through. Larger shrubs refused to grow within several feet of its walls, though the forest floor was paved with grass.

An odd shimmer caught Mourvedre's eye, and he peered at the nearest cornerstone in the partial shade of the forest. This cornerstone was heavily engraved in swirls and spirals, appearing at first to be chaotic in style but a closer inspection revealed that there was a subtle pattern to it. It was the engravings that were throwing off this strange shimmer, so faint that they were only half visible in daylight. He looked up, and realized that there were other, smaller and more rounded stones with the same swirling-mist pattern that had been placed at even intervals several feet from the walls of the structure, four in all on this side and probably more on the other.

_"[This is the outpost,]"_ the flock leader said as he landed on the grass of the clearing. _"[You will be safe during the night with the door shut,]"_ he turned to them again, his stare dead serious. _"[Once the door is closed for the night you must not open it for anything.]"_

Cobalt nodded as Regulus and Poise removed Lysandre from his back. _"[Understood. Is there anything else?]"_

_"[Stay inside, and stay safe,]"_ the Swanna replied. _"[We will come back for you tomorrow,]"_ he opened his wings and prepared to take off. _"[Good luck!]"_

_"[Safe journey!]"_ Mourvedre called, raising a wing in farewell as the Swanna flock began to leave the clearing. He looked to the west, and noted that the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky; getting to the outpost had taken a few hours of flying.

The group filed into the outpost to get a look at their shelter for the night. Furnishings were sparse, with nothing save for a cluster of cabinets on the far side of the room and a cot to take up floor space. One of the cabinets was painted white with a red cross on the front, a symbol that they remembered was associated with treating injured Pokemon and humans alike.

Poise and Regulus laid Lysandre out on the cot where he would be off the floor and out of the way and began to explore the cupboards. Cobalt withdrew from the outpost since his bulk would just be in the way, and decided to scout the perimeter for anything of interest.

Nothing caught his eye as he combed the grassy clearing, though there was something worth noticing just beyond it; Scolipede tracks, fairly old given how faded they were. They led into the clearing of the outpost and then back out again in a different area, probably meaning they were working with the humans who stayed here last. He raised his head from the tracks as something dark fluttered over his head and alighted on a nearby branch.

_"[We should go in for the night,]"_ Mourvedre glanced to the west, where the sun was nearing the horizon. _"[I don't want to take any risks.]"_

Cobalt nodded, and followed the Honchkrow as he led the way back to the outpost, where Regulus and Poise waited for them in the doorway. The pair stood to either side to let Cobalt and Mourvedre in, and Poise pulled the door shut behind them and barred it with the sturdy plank of wood that rested at its side, plunging them into almost total darkness save for the small amount of light that got in through the outpost's vents. Cobalt lay with his head near the cot, his long body resting near the every wall of the room like a living barrier between those within and whatever might be outside. The others arranged themselves within the circle formed by Cobalt's body, on the floor near where their human lay in the cot.

Hours passed, the sunlight faded and the noises of the forest's nighttime inhabitants crept through the walls, a reassuring suite of sound that indicated there was nothing amiss outside. Each member of the group attempted to stay awake and alert, and each eventually succumbed to the heavy weight of what had happened in the past few days and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Regulus wasn't immediately aware of what had woken him up. He raised his head and slowly scanned the darkness of the room around him; nothing to see. The sounds of the others' breathing filled the room around him, and he was about to go back to sleep himself when he realized what had roused him: the sudden absence of the forest's nighttime sounds. Regulus's nostrils flared in a futile attempt to get the scent of whatever had scared them off, and his fur began to stand on end as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, muscles tight from anxiety.

The movements roused Poise, who raised his head to look up at where he could hear Regulus's now-tense breathing. It took only a few moments for Poise to find what made his comrade to tense, and he strained his ears for whatever may have scared the forest dwellers into silence.

Soon Cobalt and Mourvedre were awake as well, having sensed the new tension in the room. Silence roared in their ears as they listened for any noise that might give away the thing that was surely lurking outside, but nothing stirred beyond the wall. Minutes dragged by with only the sound of their pounding hearts and hushed breathing to fill their ears.

A burst of noise, filled with impossible echoes and sounding eerily similar to a human laugh, rang out just beyond the wall of the outpost. One of the cabinets rattled as Cobalt hit its doors with his side, having been startled enough to jump by the noise. Another sound followed the laugh, the scritch of something sharp being dragged across the stones of the wall, starting by the door and running along the walls to its left.

The scratching continued along the walls until it came to a sudden halt at the place just beside where Lysandre lay in the cot, and a few moments passed with no sound from the other side of the wall. Regulus leaped forward and started to pull Lysandre away from the wall, worried that the thing outside could somehow hurt him despite the physical barrier between them. Poise and Mourvedre jumped forward as well, the grip of fear temporarily broken by Regulus's movement, and assisted him in moving Lysandre to the middle of their huddle, as far away from the walls as possible. Cobalt tightened his coils around the lot, scales rasping against the stone floor as he moved.

They waited, barely breathing, straining their ears for any sound that might give a clue as to where the monster outside was. A tumult of noise, the crackle of breaking branches and the rip of turf being torn from the ground, sounded outside, making them draw closer together around Lysandre. Something rushed away into the distance on four legs, heavy and hooved judging by how loud it was.

Silence remained only briefly this time, as the noise of the forest dwellers returned once the noise of pounding hooves had faded with distance. It began to ebb away after the initial flurry, and the group soon realized that the forest dwellers, rather than returning to their usual business, were leaving the area around the outpost as quickly as they could. The realization made their hearts sink, as it meant that they would have a long night ahead of them when the monster returned, probably with friends next time.

Poise took the opportunity to settle Lysandre more securely within the huddle, with his right side resting against Regulus's shoulder and his arms folded in his lap. The Mienshao, along with Mourvedre, positioned themselves before Lysandre where they could help ensure that he was protected on all sides.

Some time later the air outside was filled with the crash of large creatures moving through the brush and low hanging branches of the forest. The creatures circled the outpost, making the walls vibrate from the noise. After a while they stopped and all was quiet for a moment, then the scratching began again, this time on every wall simultaneously. Some were even trying the door, causing it to rattle in its frame but ultimately they were unable to get it open.

Cobalt carefully slid himself around to face the door, ready for anything that might make it through. Without exchanging a word with one another, the group all knew that this would be a long, weary night.

They had almost grown used to the noise when it stopped altogether. Regulus perked his ears up, hopeful that the creatures outside had lost interest and left, unlikely as it was. Soon Poise and the others followed his example, lifting their heads and listening for the sound of the creatures outside.

_"[We know you have a human in there, little ones,]"_ the voice was deep and gruff, with the echo of sorrowful wails in its depths. _"[Those silly Swanna were too unskilled to assist you, but we can help him. Just open the door.]"_

The voice sent chills down their spines; it was unlike any they'd heard before, rough and alien. They chose to ignore it in the hopes that it would fall silent upon getting no reply.

For a while the voice did leave them in peace, just long enough to fall into a fitful half-doze. The sound of fists pounding against the door snapped them back to full awareness. "Someone, help me!" a human voice called from the other side of the door, which rattled in its frame again as it was hit again.

It was a shock, one that almost drove them to action, but the words of the Swanna flock leader came back to them and they remained, trembling, where they lay. The door must not be opened once it is shut. Not for any reason whatsoever.

_"[We can't open it,]"_ Regulus rasped, barely audible above the pounding and cries for help.

As if in reply to Regulus's statement, the cries rose in a pained scream that trailed off to a near-silent sob. Something substantial slammed against the door and slid down its length until whatever it was on the other side came to rest on the ground.

Poise started to move. Regulus's head swung around to where he heard the Mienshao moving in the darkness and snapped, _"[Don't even think it, Poise.]"_

_"[But what if there's someone out there?]"_ Poise's voice floated toward him in the darkness, slightly farther away than he expected.

_"[There isn't. It's obviously a trick to get us to open the door, they still have this place surrounded,]" _Regulus replied.

_"[How do you know it's not real? They need our help!]"_

The human's voice rose again in a scream as if to prove Poise's point.

_"[And our human will suffer the same fate if we open it to help,]"_ Mourvedre cut in, his voice cold. _"[Even if there is a human out there, we cannot sacrifice our own for the slim chance of saving a stranger.]"_

Poise was silent for a few moments, then the sound of his paws on the floor trailed back over to where he had been laying before. He settled down in front of Lysandre and did his best to shut out the sobbing.

_"[Oh you're cruel, aren't you?]"_ the voice came again as the sobbing stopped. _"[Won't even lift a paw to help a human in need.]" _

The high trilling cry of a Swanna in pain filled the air next.

Cabinets rattled as Poise hit their fronts and started to yank them open, searching frantically for something that he might use to shut out the noise. After some searching, he seized a blanket from the depths of one of the cabinets and dragged it with him back to his post near Lysandre, where he dropped to the ground and buried his head in the blanket's folds.

They managed to hold firm as the torment continued. Eventually the voice's jeering tone turned to one of anger, and the creatures began to become less structured in their assaults, one minute flinging curses upon them and the next mimicking the cries of more victims. Sleep was impossible with the constant noise, and the group were forced to settle for resting while still awake instead.

Regulus lay with his head between his paws as his head began to ache from all the noise. To think they'd been carried away from Kalos by the storm only to end up in a place like this, where Fairies were monsters and humans were hunted.

This night could not end fast enough.


	4. Chapter 4: Blackridge University

**Chapter 4: Blackridge University**

Somehow, they had managed to drift off for a few hours.

Regulus lifted his head and looked around the room; Cobalt had his eyes half open as he worked up the will to start moving, and Mourvedre was already inspecting the light that filtered in through one of the vents. Poise appeared to still be asleep, covered as he was by the blanket he'd been trying to plug his ears with.

The pyroar turned to look at Lysandre, who still leaned against his shoulder as before, and gently touched his nose to his forehead. Much warmer than before, a bad sign in a human. _"[Poise,]"_ Regulus tapped the blanket-covered mound with one paw as he called the mienshao's name.

Poise's nose emerged from the blanket's folds as he stirred, soon followed by his head. _"[Did we make it?]"_ he asked, blinking blearily up at Regulus.

"_[Well the monsters didn't get in if that's what you mean,]"_ Mourvedre quipped as he hopped down next to them. _"[It's light out now so it should be safe to open the door.]"_

"_[I am aware,]" _Regulus rumbled. _"[Anatole seems too warm to me,]"_ he added, skipping straight to the point. _"[I would appreciate it if someone else could check.]"_

Poise was on his feet in an instant. The blanket crumpled to the floor as he pushed it off his back and hurried to Lysandre's side. At this closer distance he could easily hear how shallow and ragged Lysandre's breathing was, and he found that the human did feel much warmer than normal upon pressing his nose to Lysandre's face. _"[Should we try to cool him down?]" _Poise asked, looking to Regulus and Mourvedre in turn.

"_[I've seen humans putting ice bags on their foreheads if they're too hot,]"_ Mourvedre offered. _"[Either way let's move him out of here for now and see if some fresh air helps.]"_

Cobalt removed the block from the door with his mouth and pushed it open, allowing a wave of fresh air to flow in. He then left the outpost, moving as carefully as possible to avoid jostling the others as he went. After the horrible sounds coming from the clearing last night, he fully expected to discover some sort of debris or other sign of their visitors, but there was nothing to be found. The clearing looked exactly as it had the day before, save for a few leaves that had fallen onto the carpet of grass. He turned in time to watch as Poise and Regulus carried Lysandre out of the outpost and laid him on the softest patch of grass they could find.

Lysandre looked even worse in the sunlight. He was thinner than yesterday, his cheeks slightly sunken and flushed from fever. The wear and tear from their rough journey was also painfully apparent; his hair was dull, limp, and messy, and clothes that had once been the height of fashion in their home region were now more suited to the confines of a trash bin than being worn by someone of Lysandre's status.

Mourvedre began to undo the buttons on Lysandre's jacket as Cobalt drifted over to them. The swanna had promised to return and lead them to a place where Lysandre could be healed, so for now they would have to wait and do their best to cool him off.

* * *

Hildred slung the dark green cloak about her shoulders and fastened it at her throat. It was standard wear for the Black Rangers, durable and warm in case the wearer was forced to rough it for a day or two. She turned to look at Elizabeth as the human finished checking the contents of her pack. As one of the lucarios who lived at the university Hildred had many human friends, but Elizabeth was the one she held most dear.

"Looks like you're all set," Elizabeth closed the pack and fastened the straps. "Be careful out there," she added as she handed the pack over to Hildred.

"_I always am,"_ Hildred swung the pack around and tugged the straps to keep it snug against her back. _"I'll be back in two days or less,"_ her thought-speech voice was feminine with a deeper undertone.

Elizabeth followed Hildred to the door and offered one final wave of farewell—returned by Hildred as she crossed the expanse of lawn that lay behind the university—before returning to her research.

The wardstones that guarded the human settlements against the dangers of the forest seemed to hum at Hildred in greeting as she drew near. They were ancient, having been made around three thousand years ago, and engraved with flowing patterns of swirling mist. Hildred rested a paw on one as she passed, a sort of good luck ritual she had picked up from the human Rangers, then stepped out into the untamed wild lands of Suritaine.

Wild, yes. But beautiful as well. The forest housed a deep green illumination beneath its thick boughs, brought about as the sunlight filtered through thousands of leaves. It was beautiful, refreshing, and yet the humans of this land rarely ventured even as far as the forest edge. From twilight until dawn, the danger of the fairies made the forest off-limits to humans. Only skilled Ranger groups dared to venture in for any extended period of time, and that was always with scolipede mounts and a few powerful lucarios to accompany them.

Being a lucario herself meant that Hildred was less at risk when she ventured into the forest, but it still paid to be careful. She kept an eye out for anything amiss as she made her way deeper and deeper into the expanse of green, for either signs of unusual fairy activity or evidence that there may have been a lost human about recently.

The first hour or so brought nothing out of the ordinary, and Hildred had just reached the foothills of the Blackridge Mountains when a flutter of movement in the sky above caught her attention. She looked up, and spotted a flock of swanna but a moment before they noticed her and began to spiral down for a landing. Obviously there would be something important on their minds; swanna weren't generally in the habit of randomly chatting up passers-by, so Hildred waited patiently as the largest and most fully-plumed of the lot landed before her.

"_[Good morning, Hildred. We hope we find you well,]"_ rather than allowing Hildred to follow up with her own greeting, the swanna then swept on to the problem on his mind with barely any hesitation. _"[We came across an injured human yesterday who is in need of more... Complicated aid than what we were able to offer. His group is waiting at the outpost east of here, if you were to guide them to your home then we would not have to worry for their safety.]"_

"_Show me," _Hildred took a step forward, eager to get on the move.

The flock leader nodded and spread his wings. _"[Here, we will get there quicker if I carry you,]"_ he lifted into the air and came to hover over her head, legs held just low enough for Hildred to catch hold of.

"_Are you sure I won't be too much weight?"_ Hildred hesitated as she watched the swanna hovering over her head.

"_[I am more than strong enough,]"_ the swanna replied, hovering a little lower. _"[Hurry, the sooner the human receives help, the better.]"_

"_Very well,"_ Hildred reached up and wrapped a paw around each of the swanna's legs.

The swanna inhaled deeply and beat his wings even harder. Hildred began to lift off the ground, slowly at first, and with ever-increasing speed as they got higher and higher. The rest of the flock rose with them, queueing up in their normal formation once their leader had the wind beneath his wings.

Treetops passed beneath her feet at a good speed, and Hildred spent a while watching them pass before looking up at the swanna, _"You mentioned that this human was in need of more complicated aid. Just how badly was he hurt?"_

"_[A head wound, from what I could see. He did not wake in all the time I was with the group, and on top of all that he has been afflicted with a malady of the spirit, one that prevented our healing powers from working on him,]"_ the swanna replied. _"[I am unsure how he came to be that way. They seem to be foreigners, as his companions had no knowledge of the dangers of this land when I asked them about how he came to be wounded.]"_

The fact that the swanna had so obviously danced around using the word "fairy" did not slip past Hildred unnoticed. _"I take it they overheard you when you mentioned them?"_ she ventured.

"_[They were harassing us all night,]"_ the muscles behind his beak tensed to show his annoyance. _"[Throwing stones, making noise. Seems they've gotten a tad more sensitive as of late.]"_

"_Still sounds like they weren't as mad as they could've gotten,"_ Hildred noted. Though the fairies weren't above harassing their fellow Pokemon, they usually didn't attempt real harm unless something was done to make them truly angry.

"_[Yes and seeing this human sent beyond their clutches may do just that,]"_ the swanna took a moment to check his course, then tilted his wings slightly to the right. _"[We will be flying south to the lands across the water later today, to spend some time with a few of our sister flocks who call that region home. It will be nice to dance with them again.]"_

"_You're certainly turning this in your favor,"_ Hildred smiled and nodded her approval of the plan. _"By the time you return they may very well have forgotten all about your involvement."_

"_[That's the idea,]"_ a slight smile came to the swanna's face as well.

The sun was nearing its zenith by the time they arrived at the clearing. Hildred spotted the blue length of a gyarados through the trees as the swanna spiralled down, and the vibrant mane of a pyroar next. The human's deep orange shirt and red hair made him easily visible against the verdant grass of the clearing, and even from this distance Hildred could see that he was injured.

Despite the long flight and size of his passenger, the swanna set Hildred down as if she barely weighed anything at all and came to land beside her. He gave the group a cordial nod of greeting, then introduced his guest. _"[This is Hildred, we met her as we were flying back here. She lives at a large human settlement and will be able to lead you there,]"_ he extended a wing toward Hildred as he gave the introduction, then tucked it back at his side when finished.

"_[The others from our party should be back soon,]"_ the gyarados rumbled, raising his head a bit higher to get a better look at Hildred.

"_[You're an aura reader, aren't you?]"_ the pyroar added. _"[If you could take a look at him while we wait, we would be grateful.]"_

"_We should hurry, but I'll take a look,"_ Hildred crossed the clearing quickly with her long strides. She knelt beside the human once she reached him, and took a brief look at his physical condition before examining his aura in more detail.

"_[My flock and I will search the area for your comrades,]"_ the swanna raised his wings and nodded to his flock, who raised their wings in unison and took off as he did.

Hildred's left ear twitched at the sound of the swannas' wings, but she kept her eyes on the human as they disappeared among the trees. Even without focusing her power she could see that there was something very wrong with his aura; it was dark, murky, and it seemed to be writhing like a living thing. _"Yes, we should get moving as soon as possible. It's no wonder the swanna were unable to help him,"_ she shrugged the pack from her shoulders, and began to undo the clip that held her cloak in place. _"I see..."_ Hildred closed her eyes and focused her powers, then opened them to get a better look. _"Despair. Fear. Doubt. I help treat things of this nature back at the university, and this is one of the worst cases I've seen yet."_

"_[But he can still be saved, can't he?]"_ the pyroar's face was tense with worry and exhaustion, but his voice still held hope for the promised help to come.

"_He should at least have a chance if we get him back to my home in good time,"_ Hildred looked up at the sound of rustling leaves near the edge of the clearing, and watched as a mienshao emerged from the tree line to hurry toward them.

"_[The swanna told me it was time to leave,]"_ the mienshao held his forepaws daintily before him even at the pace he was moving at, and he only slowed once he had reached his human's side. He turned to Hildred, and gave her a small bob of the head in greeting, _"[They said a lucario would get us to the safe place, thank you for helping us.]"_

"_My pleasure,"_ Hildred replied, returning a polite nod of her own. _"How many more are in your party? The sooner we move out, the better,"_ Hildred set the cloak on the grass beside her and turned again to the human.

"_[Just Mourvedre, now,]"_ the gyarados replied, his eyes following Hildred as she lifted his human's right arm and began to roll up the sleeve. _"[He can fly, so he should get back quickly once the swanna find him.]"_

Hildred nodded to acknowledge his answer, and tucked the sleeve into itself once she got it past the human's elbow. The skin of the inner elbow was red and somewhat swollen, as the set of bite marks that now marred it had become infected from lack of proper cleaning. Combined with what she could see of the head wound, it was not surprising that the human was now running a fever. _"Where did he get these bite marks?"_ Hildred held the human's arm up for the others to see as she spoke.

"_[I... Was trying to drag him to safety when that happened,]"_ the pyroar hung his head in shame.

"_And the head wound?"_

The coarse, deep caw of a honchkrow interrupted the gyarados as he was about to reply, and they all looked up to watch as the final group member fluttered into the clearing.

"_[I'm here, are we ready to leave?]"_ he was breathless from his hasty return, but keen and alert all the same.

"_[Yes, we are all ready,]"_ the gyarados brought his back low to the ground to allow for easier boarding. _"[Miss Hildred will direct us from here.]"_

Hildred nodded, then slid her cloak beneath the man's torso and wrapped it around him. Once his arms were wrapped within the cloak to keep them safely out of the way, she took him in her arms and climbed onto the gyarados's back. There she settled herself just behind his enormous head, where she would be able to hold on to him and his human more easily.

The others followed suit as the swanna landed around them, ready to say their goodbyes.

"_[A safe journey to you, and swift return to health for your human friend,]"_ the flock leader said, raising a wing in farewell as he stood before group.

"_[You take care as well, and thank you!]"_ the mienshao called from his perch on the gyarados's back.

"_[If we happen to meet again, don't hesitate to ask for a favor in return,]" _the gyarados added.

With their goodbyes said and the group gathered on the gyarados's back, both parties lifted off and took to the skies above. The swanna turned to the southeast and were soon lost from sight, while Hildred directed the gyarados toward the southwest.

"_By the way,"_ Hildred spoke up once they were well underway, having finished with making sure that they were on-course. _"Things were so rushed on the ground, I didn't get to ask your names."_

The honchkrow drew level with her and tipped his beak in a more formal greeting, _"[I am Mourvedre, the gyarados is Cobalt, Regulus is the pyroar, and Poise is the mienshao.]"_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you all,"_ Hildred replied. _"And what about the human? Surely he has a name as well."_

Silence was the reply as Cobalt, Regulus, and Poise pretended that they hadn't heard her question, improbable as such as such a thing was. Mourvedre was visibly agitated, neck feathers ruffled and wingbeat suddenly unsteady. He dropped a few feet, then recovered himself as quickly as he could and tried to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had just been said.

"_Interesting,"_ Hildred remained where she sat, facing straight ahead.

Mourvedre was silent as tried to find the right words. _"[We are most grateful for your aid, but... We are unsure that we can trust you with such information just yet,]"_ he said finally.

Hildred allowed them to stew for a few moments before making her reply, _"Very well. I will be very interested to hear the whole story from you once we get there."_

* * *

They sighted the forest's edge and the large clusters of buildings that lay beyond it many hours later, as the sun was beginning to dip low toward the horizon. The closeness of their destination spurred Cobalt onward, and he picked up the pace in his eagerness to see his trainer healed. Mourvedre took off from his perch on one of Cobalt's dorsal spines and flew on his own to lighten the gyarados's load.

The forest's edge rushed up below, then gave way to a line of large standing stones cut from blue slate. A large complex of various buildings, walkways, and gardens spread before them now, a stark difference from the dense green canopy of the forest.

"_Land by the building to our left,"_ Hildred's voice rang clear in their heads.

Cobalt turned accordingly and began his descent to the smooth lawn that lay before the indicated building. It was a large structure, three stories high and lined with windows. A few humans in white doctors' coats appeared in the nearest doorway as Cobalt landed on the grass.

Hildred slid off Cobalt's back the moment he came to a halt and began to walk toward the building before them. Cobalt paused to allow the rest of the group to disembark, then followed Hildred as well. He couldn't resist giving a quiet sigh of relief; it was good to finally have all that weight off his back, and to have finally reached their destination.

"_I know you might already be aware of this, but depending on how much damage he's suffered, there might not be much left of your trainer that we can save,"_ Hildred said, turning her head to look at them as she walked.

"_[We realized that was a possibility when he didn't wake up,]"_ Cobalt rumbled, his head drifting close to the ground in sadness. _"[Please, do all you can to save him.]"_

"_You don't have to worry about that. I just wanted to be sure that you were prepared for the worst, should it happen,"_ Hildred continued onto the concrete walkway that lead to the doorway, her long strides forcing Poise and Regulus to move at a trot to keep up. _"Wait here. I will return once I've given him to our doctors."_

Regulus came to a halt near the middle of the walk and sat down, his eyes following Hildred as she reached the door and began speaking with the doctors there. He fidgeted as Poise settled beside him, leaning one shoulder against Regulus's own and folding his forepaws neatly before him. A quiet flutter of wings and Mourvedre was on the ground, keen red eyes focused on the group at the doorway.

Cobalt came to rest just behind them, his tail trailing on the grass beside the walk. He could tell that Mourvedre didn't trust their hosts yet by the way he fixated on them, and he couldn't blame him; after what Lysandre had done in Kalos, it wouldn't be a surprise to find that even the humans from a different region had heard about it. They would have to be ready to take Lysandre and run if things took a wrong turn.

They watched as Hildred disappeared into the shadow of the doorway with Lysandre, and hoped that this would not be the last time they saw him. Several moments later the lucario appeared again, her arms empty and relaxed at her sides. She paused on the threshold and nodded to someone inside, then allowed the door to swing shut and started toward the group.

"_Thank you for waiting,"_ Hildred said as she came to a halt before them. _"The doctors will begin surgery soon, and I will be needed as well to deal with the aura problem. Do you see that building across the way?"_ she pointed to a building in the distance, across the lawns and landscape features, that reflected the fading sunlight with dozens of glass panels. _"That's the visiting center, where the university's trainers spend time with their larger Pokemon. It contains our Pokemon Center as well, so you'll be able to rest up and get food and water there while you wait."_

"_[How long will it take to heal him?]"_ Regulus got to his feet but remained where he stood.

"_It depends on how extensive the damage is,"_ Hildred replied. _"It would be pointless to give an estimate before we know more, but rest assured that I will tell you myself when there is news."_

Regulus's head drooped slightly. It made sense; giving too hopeful an estimate would only lead to disappointment when the expectation was not met. With nothing more to say, he turned and began to walk toward the visiting center. The others stared at Hildred a few moments longer, then turned to follow him.

They waited until they were well out of earshot before they began conversing amongst themselves.

"_[What do we do now?]"_ Mourvedre grumbled from atop one of Cobalt's head spines. _"[Just sit around and wait?]"_

"_[That's all we _can_ do at this point,]"_ Poise replied. _"[They have the skill to take care of him, it's what he needs after we've done such a miserable job ourselves.]"_

"_[So what comes next?]" _Regulus still held the lead at a subdued walk. _"[We don't even know where we are, where home is. Not that we can go back...]"_ his voice trailed off, but the others could easily guess at what he was thinking now: what would they do if Lysandre didn't survive in the end?

It was a horrible possibility to think of, but there was no avoiding it given their circumstances. They had no idea what to do with themselves if Lysandre died; they had each known him for years, and he had been such a big part of their lives for so long that imagining life without him seemed impossible. The good times they'd shared seemed so far in the past now, back before thoughts of creating Team Flare had even entered Lysandre's head. Back when he was happy. They just wanted to see him happy again...

Regulus looked up just in time to avoid walking into a bush, and noted that the building they were bound for was still a good distance away. He took a long breath, then released it in a short sigh and walked around to the pathway beyond. The concrete felt rough and hard beneath his paws after the cushion of the lawn, and for the first time since they arrived Regulus raised his head and looked around at the scenery.

The hedges he'd just walked around hemmed a small courtyard with the statue of a trainer and her talonflame at its center, the pair seemingly plucked from a moment in time and frozen in stone just as the bird settled on her thick leather glove. Back toward the forest were the standing stones, their blue slate faces in stark contrast to the dark emerald of the forest behind them. Regulus lifted his nose and sampled the light breeze that stirred the hedges; it was good clean air like they had back home, but with the scent of forest and river rather than that of stone and snow coming off of nearby mountains. He could see that the buildings were built in an older style as well, similar to the university that Lysandre had gone to in his younger days.

"_[Cobalt,]"_ Regulus lowered his head, and he turned back toward their destination. _"[Do you remember when Anatole took us with him to the university?]"_

"_[Yes,]"_ Cobalt nodded. _"[I remember. He enjoyed every moment.]"_


End file.
